A. The Field of the Invention
The embodiments of the present invention relate to locking pliers, and more particularly, the embodiments of the present invention relate to locking pliers for being one-handed adjustable, clampable, and releasable.
B. The Description of the Prior Art
The art is sated with various self-locking adjustable pliers wrenches for gripping and locking onto objects within a rather wide size range. The innovations in these pliers are marked largely by improvements to the toggle mechanisms that permit the jaws to not only accommodate differently sized objects, but also to lock onto the objects with varying degrees of force. Existing toggle mechanisms employ an adjustment component for use in adjusting the distance between the jaws so that they can grip and lock onto differently sized objects. The jaws must be pre-adjusted so that they can engage and grip an object, regardless of the size. As a result, existing self-locking adjustable pliers wrenches cannot be used with only one hand in the sequential gripping of differently sized objects because a pre-adjustment of the jaws is required from the gripping of one object to the gripping of another differently sized object.
This required pre-adjustment of the jaws in the sequential gripping of differently sized objects is a significant deficiency in the art, and it is clear that a adjustable wrench that could be employed for sequentially gripping differently sized objects with a selected gripping force without having to be sequentially pre-adjusted would mark a significant improvement over the prior art.
Thus, there exists a need for locking pliers that is easy to employ with only one hand, especially for sequentially gripping differently sized objects without the need for sequentially pre-adjusting the jaws.
Numerous innovations for locking pliers have been provided in the prior art, which will be described below in chronological order to show advancement in the art, and which are incorporated herein by reference thereto. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention in that they do not teach locking pliers for being one-handed adjustable, clampable, and releasable.
(1) U.S. Pat. No. 2,592,803 to Heim.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,592,803 issued to Heim on Apr. 15, 1952 in U.S. class 81 and subclass 84 teaches a wrench having a relatively stationary handle with a non-movable jaw mounted upon one end thereof. A movable jaw is secured to a jaw mounting plate which is pivotally mounted upon a first pivot pin intermediate the ends of the stationary handle and adapted to carry the movable jaw into operative relationship with the non-movable jaw. An adjusting apparatus is mounted in the stationary handle and is adapted to adjust the movable jaw in relationship to the non-movable jaw. A second pivot pin passes through the jaw mounting plate and is spaced from the first pivot pin. A locking handle is pivoted at one end upon the jaw mounting plate through the medium of the second pivot pin. A third pivot pin passes through the locking handle intermediate the ends thereof. A toggle link is pivotally secured at one end to the locking handle through the medium of the third pivot pin and at its other end to the adjusting apparatus. The toggle link has a lug formed thereupon adapted to limit the inward movement of the locking handle toward the stationary handle. Another adjusting apparatus mounted upon the locking handle is adapted to cooperate with the lug upon the toggle link to control the amount of adjustment of the movable jaw. A release apparatus interposed between the adjusting apparatus in the stationary handle and the adjacent end of the toggle link is adapted to release the movable jaw from an object after the movable jaw has been clamped upon the object.
(2) U.S. Pat. No. 2,842,996 to Coslow et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,842,996 issued to Coslow et al. on Jul. 15, 1958 in U.S. class 81 and subclass 378 teaches a compound leverage, toggle operated plier including a first handle member including a first gripping jaw, a jaw member pivoted on the handle member and including a second gripping jaw opposed to and movable toward the first gripping jaw upon pivotal movement of the jaw member, a second handle member, apparatus rotatably and movably mounting one end of the second handle member on the first handle member for movement of the one end along a given linear path with respect to the first handle member, apparatus rotatably and movably mounting the one end of the second handle member on the jaw member for movement of one end of the second handle member along a linear path with respect to the jaw member inclined relative to the first mentioned path, and apparatus connected between the handle members for moving the one end of the second handle member along the one linear path in a direction to move the second gripping jaw toward the first gripping jaw upon movement of the handle members together.
(3) U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,901 to Peviani.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,901 issued to Peviani on Apr. 11, 1989 in U.S. class 219 and subclass 138 teaches a quick releasable clamp for welder's ground and rod connections, which includes a thumb operable release lever releasing an adjustable toggle link. Opposed jaws have toothed engagement buried into a work piece clamped by extended lever arms having resilience for reserved clamping energy, and alternately, the opposed arms have wedging action to position a rod normal to the disposition of the clamp and the cable conductor is anchored remote from its terminal electrical fitting to the frame of the clamp.
(4) U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,022 to Peviani.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,022 issued to Peviani on Dec. 26, 1989 in U.S. class 81 and subclass 368 teaches a quick releasable vice-grip pliers that includes a thumb operable release lever releasing an adjustable toggle link. The release lever extends alongside an actuating lever of the pliers and has a finger engageable pad near the pivot pin of the pliers jaws.
(5) U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,080 to Flavigny.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,080 issued to Flavigny on Mar. 11, 1997 in U.S. class 81 and subclass 368 teaches locking pliers including a fixed unit of generally elongate shape, which forms at one end a fixed handle and at the other end a fixed jaw. A movable unit includes a movable jaw articulated to the fixed jaw, and an actuating lever of which one end is articulated to the movable jaw and the other end forms a movable handle. Also, a toggle mechanism includes a link articulated to an intermediate point of the lever and extends to a rear bearing point adjustable along the length of the fixed handle. The actuating lever crosses a straight line that joins the articulation of the movable jaw to the bearing point of the link. The fixed handle extends substantially along a straight line joining the articulation to the bearing point.
(6) United States Patent Application Publication Number US 2004/0255729 A1 to Poole et al.
United States Patent Application Publication Number US 2004/0255729 A1 published to Poole et al. on Dec. 23, 2004 in U.S. class 81 and subclass 370 teaches an adjustable pliers wrench including a fixture having a handle, an opposing stationary jaw, a co-acting jaw pivoted to the fixture, and a lever pivoted to the co-acting jaw. A guide is attached proximate the handle and a locking element is arranged on the guide for reciprocal and canting movement. At least one attached biasing element urges the locking element toward the stationary jaw. An arm is pivoted to the lever and a cam is pivoted to the arm and to the locking element so as to be movable between a first condition permitting the locking element to reciprocate along the guide and a second condition bearing against the guide and canting the locking element into frictional engagement against the guide.
(7) U.S. Pat. No. 6,862,961 B2 to Winkler.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,862,961 B2 issued to Winkler on Mar. 8, 2005 in U.S. class 81 and subclass 367 teaches a locking pliers tool combining a self-locking frictional brake, a gap setting apparatus to set jaw gap size automatically when clamping onto a workpiece, an over-center linkage clamping apparatus to securely clamp the workpiece between the opposing tool jaws, and an adjustment apparatus for setting the clamping force to be exerted onto the gripped workpiece.
(8) United States Patent Application Publication Number US 2007/0180957A1 to Johnson.
United States Patent Application Publication Number US 2007/0180957 A1 published to Johnson on Aug. 9, 2007 in U.S. class 81 and subclass 368 teaches a toggle locking tool with an adjustment screw assembly, which includes a force-enhancing shank that enables the holding force of the tool to be multiplied manifold. The adjustment screw assembly includes an adjustment screw conventionally adapted to be fed into and to engage a threaded bore in the outer end of the fixed handle of the tool. The adjustment screw itself, however, includes an internal fine-threaded bore that extends through the length of the screw and receives a threaded force-enhancing shank having a head portion adapted for turning manually or with a turning tool. An end portion of the shank extends beyond the adjustment screw to form the bearing surface which, in a conventional toggle locking tool, is provided by the tip of the adjustment screw. Rotation of the adjustment screw provides rapid low-force locking adjustment of the tool, and subsequent torquing of the force-enhancing shank results in the application of a multiplied locking force to the jaws of the tool.
It is apparent that numerous innovations for locking pliers have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the embodiments of the present invention as heretofore described, namely, locking pliers for being one-handed adjustable, clampable, and releasable.